


Sizzle

by Squirbi



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Canonical Child Abuse, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Ozai and Azula are just mentioned, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, The Gaang Learns How Zuko Got The Scar (Avatar), Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, semi-graphic description of zuko getting his scar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:02:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27639274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squirbi/pseuds/Squirbi
Summary: “You have a scar? Can I see it? If it doesn’t hurt, of course.”Zuko set her back down on the rock she was sitting on. He took her hand and guided it to his face. She gently ran her fingers over the scar, before saying, “That’s a pretty bad burn, how did you get it?”“Training accident.”Toph knew he was lying, but decided to leave it, not even mentioning that she could tell it was a lie.“Oh. That sucks.”“Yeah.” He picked her up again and they started back to her room.TW: VOMITINGTW: PANIC ATTACKSTW: CANONICAL CHILD ABUSE
Relationships: The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 19
Kudos: 446





	Sizzle

**Author's Note:**

> Please mind the tags!!

“Zuko, can you take me back to my room?”

It had only been a few days since Zuko had joined the group, and Toph’s feet still hurt. It was the least he could to carry her around, considering he didn’t have healing powers like Katara. 

“Sure.” He crouched down so that the earthbender could climb onto his back. As she was getting on, her hand grazed his scar. He almost dropped her. 

“What was that?” she asked. 

“My scar.” 

“You have a scar? Can I see it? If it doesn’t hurt, of course.” 

Zuko set her back down on the rock she was sitting on. He took her hand and guided it to his face. She gently ran her fingers over the scar, before saying, “That’s a pretty bad burn, how did you get it?” 

“Training accident.” 

Toph knew he was lying, but decided to leave it, not even mentioning that she could tell it was a lie. 

“Oh. That sucks.” 

“Yeah.” He picked her up again and they started back to her room. 

“Can you see very well out of that eye?” 

“No, I’m basically blind on my left side. I can make out some shapes, but they are pretty fuzzy.”

“I knew I felt a connection to you! We’re blind buddies!” 

Zuko smiled. 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

Zuko liked to cook. It reminded him of his time in the tea shop with Uncle, something that he never thought he would miss. 

Right now, he was making jook for Toph, who had recently come down with a cold, while Katara made stew for the others. It had taken some convincing to get Katara to let him cook, but even after she agreed, she kept a close eye on him. She still didn’t trust him, and was sure that he was going to try to poison Toph

When dinner was ready, they all gathered around the campfire and began to dish up, chatting while they ate. 

“This doesn’t smell like stew,” said Toph when Zuko handed her a bowl. 

“That’s because it’s not. I made you jook. When my mother was still around she used to make it for us when we were sick. It always made me feel better,” responded Zuko. 

“Oh, thanks Sparky!” She took a bite, and her surprise was visible on her face. “This is really good! I didn’t know you could cook!” 

Zuko smiled and scooped some jook into his own bowl. “Thanks. My uncle taught me how to cook when we were in Ba Sing Se.” 

“Your uncle sounds like a great guy,” said Sokka. 

“Yeah, I love him a lot. He’s like a father to me.” 

“Too bad you left him to rot in prison,” said Katara smugly. 

It was silent for a moment. 

“It’s my greatest regret. I miss him more than you know,” Zuko whispered finally. 

“Oh please, you say you regret everything Zuko. Everybody else here might be buying your little pity party, but I’m not.” Katara snapped. 

“Katara, that’s not fair. We’ve all made mistakes and we all deserve a second chance,” said Aang. 

“Seriously? You’re going to take his side on this? Zuko doesn’t love Iroh like a father! He betrayed him to see his real dad! Have you forgotten that both Zuko and Iroh tried to capture you? Iroh is just as guilty as Zuko and deserved to be locked up.” 

“Do not talk about my uncle like that,” growled Zuko, standing up to look Katara in the eyes, “You don’t know what you are talking about.”  
“Don’t use that tone with me!” Katara yelled at him, “If you want me to accept you into the group, maybe you should try to learn respect!” 

Zuko stopped breathing. 

You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher

His hands were shaking. 

“I -uh- I have to go.” 

He ran. 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

A few days passed, although the incident wasn’t forgotten, they still hadn’t talked about it. 

“But Zukoooo…. I’m tired! We’ve been running these forms all day!” Aang pouted. 

The firebender rolled his eyes. “C’mon Aang, one more time and then we can go join the others for dinner.”

“Really! Okay!” Aang immediately perked up and started running through the form. 

Zuko watched as Aang went through the motions. He was doing a great job, and Zuko couldn’t help but to feel proud of him. 

Aang lunged and went to punch in front of him, but he landed too heavily on his front foot. The fire extended past his fist even as he slipped, and went straight for Zuko’s head. 

He saw the flame coming towards his face, and he panicked. 

“No! Stop!” He yelled. He fell to the floor, curled up with his hands behind his head in a defensive position. 

The yelling caught the attention of the others, who ran over to see what the commotion was about.

“Zuko? Are you okay?” Aang tried to comfort him by placing his hand on his shoulder, but he sudden touch sent Zuko deeper into hysterics. He was hyperventilating now, and openly pleading for his life. 

“Please! I won’t fight you! I meant no disrespect! I only had the nation’s best interest at heart!” Zuko sobbed. “Please don't hurt me, don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me…”

Aang was crying as well now. “Zuko? Zuko! Snap out of it! Please you’re scaring me!” 

Zuko couldn’t hear Aang. All he could hear was the cheering of the onlookers and the sizzling sound of his own skin bubbling and blistering under his father’s hand. 

The rotten smell of burning flesh filled Zuko’s nostrils. He gagged into his hand, bile stinging his throat as it came up. 

His vision went black around the edges until finally, he passed out. 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

When he woke up, he was back in his room, laying down on his bed. Everybody, minus Toph and Katara, were sitting around the bed. 

“Zuko? Are you okay?” asked Sokka.

“Zuko! I am so, so sorry! I didn’t- ” 

Zuko cut Aang off with a wave of his hand. “It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize for an accident. I should be apologizing to you for making such a fuss over nothing.”

“Obviously it isn’t nothing Zuko! You had a panic attack because of me! I feel awful!” cried Aang. 

“It’s not you Aang, it’s… something else.” 

“Then what was it?” asked Toph, who had just walked into the room.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” he mumbled, turning over so that his back was facing them. 

They still looked concerned, but turned to leave and give him some space. Toph lingered behind.

“Tell us if you need anything. We’re here for you,” said Toph in a voice gentler than Zuko thought she was capable of. He heard the clink of something being set down on his bedside table.

“Thanks Toph.” 

“Anytime, Sparky,” she said as she walked out the door. 

A few minutes after everyone was gone, Zuko turned himself over to see what Toph had left. 

Sitting on his nightstand was a steaming bowl of jook.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

When Zuko left his room to go to dinner, everybody was relieved. Even Katara looked slightly worried. 

Zuko honestly didn’t know why he came to dinner, he wasn’t hungry anymore. 

They ate in silence until halfway through the meal, when Toph spoke. 

“Sparky, if you aren’t going to eat, can you at least try to drink some of your water?” 

He responded by taking a small sip. 

“Do any of you know how I got my scar?” 

“Yeah, I heard you tell Toph it was a training accident,” said Aang. 

“It wasn’t an accident,” said Zuko. “Firebenders don’t burn easily.” 

“Then, what happened?” asked Aang. 

“It all started when I begged my uncle to let me tag along to a war meeting. He agreed, on the condition that I wasn’t supposed to speak. I broke that rule. I spoke out against a cruel war plan presented by this cranky old general. His plan was to sacrifice an entire division of new recruits, unarmed and untrained, to the front lines as a distraction.” 

“That’s a terrible plan,” said Sokka, “You did the right thing by standing up for them.” 

Zuko looked to the ground. “Yeah, well, unfortunately the war generals didn’t share our sentiment. My father ordered me to fight in an Agni Kai.” 

“What’s an Agni Kai?” 

“A firebending duel. Anyway, the general I had argued was pretty old, so even though I wasn’t an expert firebender, I thought I could take him. But when I entered the arena, it wasn’t the general standing before me. It was my father. I-”

“WHAT?” screeched Toph. The ground around her shot up into a bunch of spikes. 

Zuko flinched at the noise. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Toph took a deep breath and the spikes lowered back into the earth, “Okay, continue.” 

“I got down on my knees and begged, I fucking begged him not to hurt me. He wanted me to duel with him. I told him that I wouldn’t fight my own father. He told me it was dishonorable for me not to fight. I can…” he swallowed thickly, “I can still remember the exact words he said to me. ‘You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher.’” 

Katara gasped, and her eyes started watering. “You don’t mean… when I yelled at you… spirits Zuko, I-” 

“It’s okay, you didn’t know.” 

“No, I was being a jerk! I shouldn’t have said what I said. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Thank you Katara.” He paused for just a moment, “He, he raised his hand to my face, and…” 

“Zuko, you don’t have to talk about it if it’s too hard.” said Aang.

He broke down, burying his face in his hands as he cried. “There were so many people in the arena. There were so many people watching. And nobody came to…” he took a second to calm down a bit, “Nobody came to help me. No, they fucking cheered as they watched their Fire Lord melt half of his son’s face off. I only heard the cheering for a few seconds, because then all I could hear was… all I could hear my skin sizzling and… I passed out” 

Sokka threw up into his bowl. 

“When I woke up, I was on the ship. My uncle told me that I had been banished, and the only way I could return was to capture the Avatar. I wasted three years of my life trying to earn his love back, when he never loved me to start with.” 

“Three years? I only came out of the iceberg less than a year ago!” 

Sokka looked at Zuko, “You… weren’t supposed to come back, were you?” 

“No. I wasn’t.”

“You know that what he did is wrong, right? It’s not your fault.” said Katara. 

“I know, I confronted him on the day of the eclipse. That was the first time I ever redirected lightning.” 

“He shot lightning at you?” asked the waterbender in shock. 

“He was trying to kill me Katara." 

Aang looked about ready to go into the Avatar State. 

“Can we hug you? Group hugs are kind of our thing.” 

Zuko nodded, and everybody wrapped around him, even Katara. 

“If you ever need to talk, we’re here, okay?” said Aang. 

“I know.” 

That night, Zuko thought for the first time in three years that everything was going to work out. 

After all, his new family was pretty great.

**Author's Note:**

> Toph would like to aggressively remind you to drink water, bind safely, and take care of your lovely selves!


End file.
